Fact or fiction: Are Bulls moving up in the draft?

The days before the NBA Draft are a fertile time for trade rumors, which don't always check out. So with the draft approaching quickly on Thursday, let's examine a few:

• The Bulls will send their No. 16 and 26 picks to New Jersey for the No. 11 selection.

This has been discussed, but hasn't really heated up. There has been talk that the Nets like North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough, who should be available at 16. So it's possible New Jersey is more interested in moving down than the Bulls are in moving up.

This is generally regarded as a weak draft, so the Bulls have to ask themselves if it's really worth giving up that No. 26 pick, which could bring a backup point guard like Toney Douglas or Darren Collison, or an extra big man.

• The Bulls have promised to pick Ohio State center B.J. Mullens at No. 16. The Bulls have zeroed in on Pitt power forward DeJuan Blair.

Both rumors have been out there and neither one is true. Mullens is a possibility for the Bulls if he gets past Detroit at No. 15, simply because he's a tall, athletic center. The downside is Mullens didn't play very well during his freshman year of college.

Blair measured just 6-6½ at the predraft camp and reportedly has a history of knee problems. Again, it's conceivable Blair could be the best player available at 16, but he's not a specific target.

The Bulls are still considering a number of players at 16 and a glance at any mock draft will tell you their names. There are guards such as Ty Lawson, Terrence Williams, Jeff Teague and Eric Maynor; big men like Mullens, Blair, Hansbrough, Louisville's Earl Clark, Gonzaga's Austin Daye, Wake Forest's James Johnson and maybe a few more. None of those players has jumped to the top of the Bulls' draft list yet.

• Ben Gordon already has an $11 million per year promise from the Pistons.

This isn't a trade rumor, but it made an appearance last week. Teams aren't allowed to negotiate with free agents until July 1, so if it were true, Detroit would be committing a serious rules violation. There's probably nothing to it.

Apparently, the Pistons included Gordon's photo in a newsletter to fans that discussed free agent possibilities this summer. That doesn't mean they'll be in hot pursuit, though.

Detroit already has Rodney Stuckey, Richard Hamilton and Will Bynum in the backcourt, so big men appear to be a higher priority. This isn't a great year for free agents, but there are some interesting names that should be available, such as Carlos Boozer, Lamar Odom, Hedo Turkoglu and Trevor Ariza. (Ron Artest and the Pistons seems like a bad match).

It makes little sense for the Pistons to spend that kind of money on Gordon unless they're planning a major roster overhaul this summer. Then again, anything is possible.

• Kirk Hinrich to Minnesota for the No. 6 pick and salary filler.

This rumor is a little old and new Timberwolves boss David Kahn threw cold water on it recently. If Minnesota did make such an offer, I've heard the Bulls would not be interested.

There is a good chance the Bulls won't have both Hinrich and Gordon on the roster when next season opens. The goal, though, is to use one of them and a spare forward to trade for a top-flight big man.

The most logical targets remain Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire and Boozer, but there are other possibilities. Toronto still seems reluctant to do anything with Bosh this summer. The question is whether that policy will change by the February trade deadline. It's possible the Bulls could try to hang onto all their assets until then.

Clark cancels workout: Louisville's Earl Clark canceled Sunday's scheduled workout at the Berto Center. The 6-foot-10 forward cited an injury, but it's possible he believes he'll be off the board by the time the Bulls pick at No. 16.

Clark attended a workout in Phoenix on Saturday with Gonzaga's Austin Daye, Wake Forest's James Johnson and point guard Brandon Jennings, who played in Italy last year. Daye did make it into Chicago for his Bulls workout on Sunday, along with five others.

<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Stories</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="http://blogs.dailyherald.com/node/2160">Blog: McGraw's mock NBA draft <span class="date">[06/18/09]</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>